70,000 Agents Used Over 110 Million Bullets

Does anyone remember the big Department of Homeland Security (DHS) gunbattles of the past year? If you don’t, it’s because there weren’t any, and that’s got some in Congress doing some very troubling math.

The DHS is buying just a ridiculous amount of ammunition. They have 260 million rounds in stock, and want to buy 750 million more, noting that they went through 116 million bullets in 2012 alone.

116 million bullets, and 70,000 active agents means that the average agent is going through 1,600 rounds of ammunition in a calender year, despite the DHS not shooting a bunch of people. Rep. Jason Cheffetz (R – UT), one of the House oversight subcommittee heads, noted that the US Army only goes through about 350 rounds per soldier, and that’s in the middle of a war.

The DHS isn’t questioning any of the numbers, but Congress sure is. DHS officials say that they just need their field agents to be super trained and so they’re doing a lot of shooting, some might say a ridiculous amount.

The claims aren’t being taken at face value though, and the numbers are so ridiculous that it has even sparked allegations from Congressmen that the DHS is deliberately buying absurd amounts of small arms ammo in an attempt to crease a shortage for private citizens. The DHS is denying that too, of course, and even mocked the Army comparison by saying that they can’t “contact air support” like the military can every time a fight breaks out. In spite of this surly attitude, the DHS seems to be largely just shutting down websites for copyright violations, and apparently they all go to the gun range after to fire off a few million rounds.

From what I have read from other sources they have contracted for a total of 1.6 billion rounds in various calibers, mostly .40 caliber pistol ammunition and 5.56mm rifle ammo. That is enough to shoot everyone in this country three times or maintain a war for 20 years. And the ammunition companies, primarily ATK in Missouri happily make the ammo for them, the stupid morons. ATK will be held equally guilty in the potential murder of innocent citizens when the Commissariat of Homeland Security finally unleashes full-scale war on the American people every bit as much as the drone maunufactutrers are in the slaughter of Afghans and Pakistanis.

750 million — that's two (in the back of the head?) for every American. Or perhaps Big Janet is using them to balance herself on the seesaw in her backyard. Whatever the reason is, she should be fired.

The corruption angle never occurred to me. I always thought DHS was preparing for the total economic collapse and martial law that must happen after either the Fed's monetary stimulus runs out of gas and stops working, or when the EU collapses.

Just for fun. let's assume that only half of those 70,000 are shooters, the rest are desk jockeys and admin types. So 35,000 agents shoot 3200 rounds per year. Considering most of them are now carrying full auto subguns or M4 rifles, that's only a bit over 100 30-round mags worth per agent. If any of you have ever fired a full auto, you'll know you can piss thru 100 mags in a month no sweat, let alone a year. There's a range not far from me where all the local LEOs practice and they're blowing thru ammo like you wouldn't believe. And I get to pay for it, and the guns too, guns I'm forbidden to own. Ain't freedom great?!

Much of this "ammo" is an option contract, not paid for or delivered, just available if needed. At a time of shortage, they are sure to get as much as they want.

DHS also provides ammo to local police forces. They provide guns too, and much else. The militarization of our police is substantially driven by what DHS gives them.

There are serious issues here, but the controversy misses the real issues. It is what DHS is making of our police forces all over the country. One little sheriff's office I know of re-equipped with M-4 assault rifles in every car and vast amounts of ammo for training and reserve. This is happening all over the country.

I certainly wouldn't rule out the corruption angle or maybe plans for Fast And Furious Part 2.

Still, I can't help think that once again the US is imitating the USSR in her finally declining years. By the late 1980's many of Russia's various bureaucratic branches had also amassed, in the name of counter-terrorism and state security of course, small but heavily armed para-military units who were loyal to whatever department spawned them.

At least the Russian people knew and understood that such groups really existed not to protect them, but to protect the leadership FROM them. Most Americans aren't as bright.

Unfortunately, I don't think the US will go quietly into the night like the USSR did, not without much bloodshed. These sociopathic killing machines fully intend to wage all-out war on us and most of the sheeple will surrender without a fight if what just occurred in Boston is any example. Or at least as long as the economy functions in some manner and they continue to receive their fat government paychecks.